Aerial mail-carrier.



V. W. MILLER.

AERIAL MAIL CARHER.

APPLICATION HLEDJUNE 11. 1917.

Patented Oct. 9; 1917.`

fonia" hav improve @nir To all wlw/m, may coneccin Be i't known ythat-I7VLnNrINE W. MILLER, a citizen of the United States iof Americay andresident of Fonda, Pocahontas i e invented a n which the following Ais alVI'aillCarrier, of specification.

The object ofythis i k and further froi either e track.

y direction provi each 'ot parts. weather- P101' f climatic conditioning shafts 11, 12 are pivoted in a common horizontal plane in the sidesof and extend g or boX 10, and grooved 13, 14 are mounted on e connectedthereto by arranged oppositely so said wheels in either diwheels will bedriven by other wheel willl revolve arrangement an hereinafter claimsand illustra'te'dby the accompanying 1 is a sideelevati'on, partlyinsec-1 hg my impro-ved device. Fig.

V partly in section, of the.V wing in addition thereto al track Ifromwhich the Figure the numeral l0 desi ing or boX which in suitabledoorway throng-h whicifacce" terior thereof for The housin across thehousin supporting wheel said shafts `and ar ratchet devices 15 that inthe travel of f rection one of the its shaft and the nvention is toprovidevv d means for carryingand coiiveyf ing objects such as mailmattei' through` the air.

A further ob provide means a ay trac pelled ject of this invention toyed to be suspended from adapted to be self p'r'o nd to the other ofsaidv A. farther Object of aus' invention@ 'to` 4cans independent of deimproved ier for drivi fr'in (either end tothe y A further obj-ectof'this invention is to conibin'e with an aeri with means for self-p s7a receptacl objects such as inail matter.y

yMy invention co ropulsion in opposite iisists in 4the construction,.m'bination of elements set forth,

trati specification er Lettersrr'ate'nt.

rae Application iea Juif@ ui. ,15in ""sriaiivo. vsgeis.

county, 'rial. e'wfand useful Aerial` lpngitudinal notchI in :'s'ponding'slot in one g an aerial carriage other of a track.

` i i ::1.1.. f l fandjournaled at thei al carriage provided.

e adapted to contain uni'eral 181(V said arms @area cee. e," ier e.

he groovedsiipporting fr 'fheel's 13,. 14 .`preferabl y are lined intheir grooves with' friction or v'brake-shoe mate- 'The housing 'oIbXformed a each end and a, corresid e, 'indicated by Vthe numeral Il(izfientenc'ling across the vertical plane occi'ipi'ed by' thewheels 13,14 to admit being, ,Suitablv :supported Eand,carryingtlie aerial. trackin :siibs'tal-ntiallyftaut condition. The u fheelsgll, "14ftravel on thetrackl and s upportuthe housing and other eleients therein or sus-Independent trainsof `from the shafts A1l, 12

frespegtively tonpiing-boxesf 2l, 22 carriedA son windings'hafts 23, 2 4extending across r1 ends in thevsides of the ylinisfiiig, windingfshaftsfalso being Vin'fa 'common horizontal plane. :arranged ratchetdevices 25, 26 .connect ,the rspi'jingl-boxhes y 421, 2 2v to .thewinding shafts Oppositely 2i.,resumenes my the inria fgears oftheindependent trains 19, 20, and

pointed out in niy :said tifainsfpi'ieferably are speedfincreasingranged in the boxes.

if? .the other .and ..pro veither end of the hou o the, in"-`ldownwardly at its out Support- It is the function of A receptacle 32 offroni the'spring-bokesuto the supporting shafts n may beV turned i il ai 4 1in 4 any:desired manner, asjby a detachable key (no't sli own) forthe purpose of Winding springs' in the boxes, one ofhsaid springsjbe andindicated by the numeral'27. The springs yare oppositel'y araaah '21e iepivotal arneeafijtofuie eente'if of theltop ofthe housinglQandisjadapted'to be Inovedthrough an arc from one end j ect overand beyondsing. The latch 28 is provided with an offset or lug 29 extending er endand an inclined either end of the track 17, said latch yield-V ingupwardly as the lug rdesover the stop.,

the latch and stop tol any suitable form is Copies of this patent may beobtained for i 17, said wheel fixed to and suspended beneath the housingor boXv 10 and is adapted to receive objects to be conveyed, such asmail matter. Y

t Suitable detent devices 33, 34 are mounted in and partly extendthrough the ends of the housing or box 10 and are adapted to engage attimes one wheel of each independent train of gearing and hold the sameagainst the tension of the driving springs. Assuming the use of thisdevice in carrying mail between a patrons home and a mail carriersstation, such as on a rural free delivery route, one end of the track 17would be contiguous to the home and the other end thereof contiguous tothe station and each end of the track would be provided `with a stop 31.The patron winds both springs and mounts manner described, turning thelatch 28 toward the station terminal. Then thepatron releases theoutgoing train of gearing by withdrawingV the detent device nearest thehome, such as 34, and permits the carriage to be moved forward towardthestation'because of traction of the rearmost grooved supportingwheel,such as 14, on the track being driven in the proper direction to advancethe carriage by the corresponding spring 27 acting through the train 20.To return the carriage' from the stationt'o the home the mail carrier,having deposited the mail if any in the receptacle 32,'reverses theposition of the latch 28 and releasesthe other train of gearing bywithdrawal of the detent devices 33 from engage-` ment therewith. Thisdone the carriage ad-, vances because ot traction of the supportingwheel 13 on the track 17, said supporting wheel being driven by theother spring through the train 19. L l I do not desire to be understoodaslimitingl myself to the details of construction' shown and Vdescribedas thel same may be modified in many particulars without departing fromthe .spirit of my invention.

" I claim as my invention- 1. An aerial carrier, comprising a'housingformed with a laterally opening slot adapted to admit a'v track alongwhich said carrier the housing on theJ track in the c travels, aliningsupporting Vwheels adapted to engage said track, means for pivotallymounting said wheels in said housing, oppositely driven spring actuatedindependent trains of gearing acting on said pivoting means, independentmanually released detent devices engaging said trains of gearing, and acontainer suspended from said housing. v n 2. An aerial carrier,comprising a housing formed with a laterally opening slot adapted toadmit a track along which said carrier travels, alining supportingwheels adapted to engage saidv track, means :tor pivotally`niounting'said wheels in said housing, oppositely driven spring actuatedindependent trains of gearing acting on said pivoting means, independentmanuallyv released detent'devices engaging said trains of` gearing, alatch reversibly mounted on said liousing and adapted to engageindependent stops selectively, and a container carried by said housing.l

3. An aerial carrier, comprising a :housing formed with a laterallyopening slot adapted to admit a track along which said carrier travels,aliningv supporting wheels adapted to engage said track, means'forpivotally mounting said wheels in said housing, said pivotingnieansincluding oppo-V sitely arranged ratchet devices whereby one of saidwheels remains idle in movementrof said housing ,in either direction,opposltely driven spring actuated independent trainsl of gearing actingloiisaid pivoting means, independent manually released. detentdevicesengaging said trains vof gearing, yand a container carried byv saidhousing. f

, 4. An aerial ucarrieradapted fortravelonV housing and means fora'track, comprising a straddling said track by. said housing,nieans forsupporting said said track, independently operatedA ,means fordriving'said housing selectively in opposite directions on said track,said means for driving'including independent spring vinotors, and acontainer suspended fromV said housing. n 'VALENTINE WV. 'MAILLERl ufive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Pat-ents.yT'Vashington,Y D. C.

housing for travel on

